CBM Blog: The Umbrella and a Domination Duel

by ChessBase
6/16/2011 – In rook endings you often have to hide from a rain of checks, and it is expedient to bring along an "umbrella". Same colored bishop endings have a relatively large drawish tendency, and one major winning strategy is to restrict the enemy bishop and exchange it. You can learn a lot by replaying the lessons provided by our resident GM and endgame specialist Karsten Müller.
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

The umbrella

In rook endings it is often important to be able to hide from the checks:

Note that in the replay windows below you can click on the notation or use the cursor keys to follow the game.

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5 e6 5.a3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bxc5 7.b4 Bb6 8.Bb2 Nge7 9.Bd3 Ng6 10.g3 0-0 11.0-0 d4 12.Qe2 Bc7 13.Bxg6 fxg6 14.Nbd2 g5 15.Qe4 a6 16.Bxd4 g4 17.Qxg4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qxd4 19.Nxd4 Bxe5 20.N2b3 Bxd4 21.Nxd4 e5 22.Nb3 Bh3 23.Rfe1 Rac8 24.Ra2 Rfd8 25.f3 Rc3 26.Kf2 Be6 27.Rxe5 Bxb3 28.cxb3 Rxb3 29.f4 Rdd3 30.Rae2 Rxa3 31.Re8+ Kf7 32.R8e7+ Kf8 33.Rxb7 Rf3+ 34.Kg2 Rae3 35.Rxe3 Rxe3 36.Kh3 Re2 37.Rb6 Ra2 38.Kg4 a5 39.Ra6 a4 40.Kf5 a3 41.Ke6 Re2+ 42.Kd5 a2 43.h3 h5 44.Ra7 Ke8 45.Kd6 Rb2 46.Ke6 Re2+ 47.Kf5 Rg2 48.g4 g6+ 49.Ke6 Re2+ 50.Kf6 hxg4 51.hxg4 Rf2
52.f5! The greedy 52.Kxg6? Rxf4 53.g5 Rf2 is only drawn, 54.b5 Kd8 55.Kg7 Kc8 56.g6 Kb8 57.b6 Rg2 58.Kf6 Rf2+ 59.Ke6 Rg2 60.Kf7 Rf2+ 61.Kg8 Rg2 62.g7 Rf2 63.Kh7 Rh2+= 52...gxf5 53.g5‼ The umbrella must remain on the board. After 53.gxf5? Kd8 54.b5 Kc8 55.Kg6 Kb8 56.Ra6 Rg2+ 57.Kf7 Rf2 58.f6 Kb7 59.Kg7 Rg2+ 60.Kf8 Rf2 61.f7 Re2 62.Kg7 Rg2+= White cannot stop the rain of checks in a satisfactory way, as he has no umbrella. 53...f4 54.g6 Rg2 55.g7 f3 The umbrella runs but it is not quick enough. 56.Rxa2! f2 57.Ra1 Rg3 57...Rg1‼+- 58.Rf1‼+- 58.Rf1 Rf3+ 58...Rg2 59.b5 Kd7 60.Kf7+- 59.Kg6 Rg3+ 60.Kh7 Rh3+ 61.Kg6 Rg3+ 62.Kf6 Rf3+ 63.Ke6 Rg3 64.Rxf2 Rxg7 65.Kd6 Rg6+ 65...Rb7 66.Rf4+- 66.Kc7! Bodycheck! Rg7+ 67.Kc6 Rg6+ 68.Kb7 Rg7+ 69.Ka6 Rg6+ 70.Ka5 Kd7 71.Rc2! This cut-off decides as White's pawn manages to cross the middle of the board, when the checking distance is too short. Re6 After 71...Rc6 72.Rxc6 Kxc6 73.Ka6!+- White's king has reached a key square. 71...Rg8 72.b5 The checking distance is only two squares. Ra8+ 73.Kb6 Rb8+ 74.Ka6 Ra8+ 75.Kb7+- 72.b5 72.b5 Re8 73.Ka6 Ra8+ 73...Rc8 74.Rxc8 Kxc8 75.Ka7+- 74.Kb7 Ra1 75.b6 Ra3 76.Rd2+ Ke7 77.Kc7 Rc3+ 78.Kb8 Rc1 79.b7 Ra1 and now White wins Lucena's position by building a bridge: 80.Rd4 Ra2 81.Kc7 Rc2+ 82.Kb6 Rb2+ 83.Kc6 Rc2+ 84.Kb5 Rb2+ 85.Rb4+- 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Huschenbeth,N2502Buhmann,R25791–02011B12DEM20118.3

Domination Duel

Same colored bishop endings have a relatively large drawish tendency in sharp contrast to pawn endings. So one major winning strategy is to restrict the enemy bishop and exchange it:

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qf4 0-0 10.Rd1 Qc8 11.b3 Bb4 12.Bb2 Ne7 13.Nb5 Ng6 14.Qc7 d5 15.a3 Be7 16.Ne5 Qxc7 17.Nxc7 Rac8 18.Nb5 a6 19.Nxg6 hxg6 20.Nc3 Rfd8 21.Rd2 Ba8 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Nxd5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Rxd5 25.Bxd5 exd5 26.Rc1 Rxc1+ 27.Bxc1 f6 28.e3 Kf7 29.Kf1 Ke6 30.Ke2 g5 31.h3 Kf5 32.g4+ Ke6 33.Bb2 Bd6 34.Kd3 b5 35.a4 g6 36.axb5 axb5 37.Bc3 f5 38.Ba5 Be7 39.Kd4 f4 40.Bc7 Kd7 41.Bb8 Kc6 42.exf4 gxf4 43.Bxf4 Bc5+ 44.Kd3 Bxf2 45.Bg5 Kd6 46.h4 Ke6 47.h5 gxh5 48.gxh5 d4 49.Ke4
49...Bg1? After 49...Kf7! White can not win the fight for domination, e.g. 50.Kf3 Be1 51.Ke2 Bg3 51...Bc3? restricts the bishop too much: 52.Bd2 Bb2 52...b4 53.Bg5 Kg7 54.Kd3 Kh7 55.Kc4 Kg7 56.Be7 Kh6 57.Bxb4 Bb2 58.Kd3 Kxh5 59.Kc2 Ba1 60.Kb1 Bc3 61.Bxc3 dxc3 62.Kc2+- 53.Bb4 Kg7 54.Kd3 Kh6 55.Kc2 Ba1 56.Kb1 Bc3 57.Bxc3 dxc3 58.b4 Kxh5 59.Kc2 Kg5 60.Kxc3 Kf5 61.Kd4+- 52.Kd3 Bf2 53.Bf4 Kg7 54.Ke2 Bh4 55.Kf3 Be1 56.Ke4 Bf2 57.Be5+ Kh6 58.Bxd4 Be1 59.Kd5 Kxh5 60.Kc5 b4 61.Kc4 and now Black's king has a choice: Kg6 61...Kg4 62.Bc5 Kf3 63.Bxb4 Bh4 64.Bc3 Be7 65.Bd4 Ke2 66.Bc5 Bd8 67.b4 Kd2 68.b5 Kc2 69.Kd5 Kd3 70.Kc6 Kc4= with a draw according to Centurini's old rule. 62.Bc5 Kf7 63.Bxb4 Bf2 64.Bc3 Ke6 65.b4 Kd6 66.b5 Kc7= 50.Bf4 White can also play for direct domination by 50.h6 Kf7 51.Kf3 Kg6 52.Kg2 Kxg5 52...Be3 53.Bxe3 dxe3 54.Kf3 Kxh6 55.Kxe3 Kg5 56.Kd4+- 53.h7 d3 54.h8Q+- 50...Kf6 50...Bf2 51.Be5 d3 52.Bf4 loses similar to the game. 51.h6 Kg6 52.Kf3 Kh7?! 52...d3 is much more tenacious, e.g. 53.Ke4 Bh2 54.Bd2 Bg1 55.Kxd3 Bc5 56.Ke4 Bf8 57.Kd5 Be7 58.Kc6 b4 59.Kb5 Bf8 60.Kc4! The hasty 60.Bxb4? Bxh6 would spoil the win. 60...Kh7 61.Bxb4 Bxh6 62.Bc3 Bf8 63.Bd4 Kg6 64.Bc5 Bh6 65.b4 Bd2 65...Kf7 66.b5 Ke6 67.b6 Kd7 68.Kb5 Bf4 69.Ka6 Kc6 70.Bf2 Bc7 71.b7 Bb8 72.Bg1 Kd7 73.Kb6 Bc7+ 74.Ka7 Bf4 75.Ka8 Kc6 76.Ba7 Kb5 77.Bb8 Bd2 78.Bg3+- 65...Kf5 66.Kd5 Bd2 67.b5 Ba5 68.Kc6 Ke6 69.Bd6+- 66.b5 Ba5 67.Bb4 Bb6 68.Kd5 Kf5 69.Kc6 Bf2 70.Bc5 Bg3 71.b6 Ke6 72.b7 Bb8 73.Bb6 Ke7 74.Bc7 Ba7 75.Kb5 Kd7 76.Ka6+- 53.Kg2! Domination! Be3 54.Bxe3 dxe3 55.Kf3 Kxh6 56.Kxe3 Kg6 57.Kd4 Kf5 58.Kc5 Ke5 59.Kxb5 White's king has reached a key square. Kd4 60.b4 Kd5 61.Kb6 Kd6 62.b5 Kd7 63.Ka7 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Le Thanh Tu2328Jose,R20711–02011A30Zonal 3.3 Women2
Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.